Brand, Perry wed at India tiger reserve

by Prakesh Bhandari - Oct. 24, 2010 12:00 AMAssociated Press

RANTHAMBHORE NATIONAL PARK, India - British comedian Russell Brand and American pop singer Katy Perry were married Saturday at a luxury resort in a tiger reserve in northwestern India, a hotel official said.

A Hindu priest conducted the ceremony, which was attended by family and close friends of the couple, the hotel official said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Security has been stringent with private security guards stationed at the resort and other nearby hotels where guests and the couple are staying for the six-day wedding celebration.

Photographers and reporters were not allowed into the Aman-e-Khas wildlife retreat. The couple have given the exclusive coverage rights to a London magazine, and no other photographers or journalists will be allowed into the resort.

Colorful lights illuminated the trees, and flower garlands festooned the luxury tents at the resort, the hotel official said.

Brand and Perry wore traditional Indian clothes to the wedding, the official said. Perry donned a sari, as did a number of other female guests. On Friday, at a prenuptial celebration, Perry, like a typical Indian bride, had henna designs applied on her palms and hands.

Meanwhile, a four-member committee had been set up to check noise pollution from the wedding celebration and ensure that animals in the wildlife reserve in India's Rajasthan state are not disturbed, said Ravi Kumar, a district official.

Brand proposed to Perry in the historic Indian city of Jaipur over New Year's Eve, and the couple decided to get married in India.

The 26-year-old Perry's second album, "Teenage Dream," was one of this year's best-sellers.

Brand, 35, is known for his drug-addled past and hedonistic tendencies. He is next set to star as Trinculo in "The Tempest" and the title character in a remake of "Arthur."